Castrato
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A castrato is a male singer who underwent castration before puberty in order to retain a singing voice equivalent to that of a soprano, mezzo-soprano, or contralto. The voice can also occur in one who
The 18th-century castrato Farinelli, painted by Bartolomeo Nazari
A Byzantine castrato from the 11th century
A caricature of Farinelli in a female role, by Pier Leone Ghezzi, 1724
The castrato Carlo Scalzi, by Joseph Flipart, c. 1737
Alessandro Moreschi
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Alessandro Moreschi was an Italian chorister of the late 19th century and the only castrato to make solo recordings.
Castrato
…sopranos and contraltos, these parts must be taken by boys, according to the most ancient usage of the Church." The last Sistine castrato to survive was Alessandro Moreschi, the only castrato to have made solo recordings. While an interesting historical record, these discs of his give us only a glimpse of the castrato…
Moreschi c. 1900
Young Alessandro Moreschi (c. 1880).
Alessandro Moreschi c. 1914